The present invention relates generally to cord keepers, and more particularly to cord keepers adapted for window treatment assemblies to take up loose cords, chains, strings, and the like, in order to protect infants and young children from potentially lethal suffocation and entanglement hazards.
Pull-cords are utilized in various types of window treatment assemblies for operating and manipulating such window treatment assemblies such as adjusting the level of the window coverings, for example. Typically, the pull-cord consists of a single or multiple strands of threads that are typically tied together or looped. A locking device is usually provided for clamping the cords to hold the window covering at whatever height the user desires by operation of the pull-cords. The pull-cord usually extends from a head rail portion of the window treatment assembly to within a few inches or less from floor level. Such tied or looped pull-cords extending from the window treatment assembly, often presents an attractive danger to infants or young children fascinated with pull-cords. Tragically, many infants and young children playing with such pull-cords, become entangled in the pull-cords resulting in some form of injury, and even death when accidentally hanged by the pull-cords.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a cord keeper which can effectively prevent or minimize such accidents involving infants and young children in a simple and cost effective manner. In addition, it would be desirable to design a cord keeper that is inexpensive and easy to fabricate and use, and has a minimum number of parts while possessing the durability, reliability and strength required to withstand the stress and forces often experienced during operation of window treatment assembly pull-cords. Furthermore, there is a need for a cord keeper that is especially fail-safe, and which does not require separate actions by the user. Such a cord keeper must operate efficiently, yet be aesthetically pleasing and unobtrusive.
The present invention is generally directed to a window treatment assembly pull-cord keeper comprised of minimal component parts cooperating to form a device mountable on the surface of a wall or window casing, and adapted for continuously collecting or releasing a length of a pull-cord from a window treatment assembly for keeping the pull-cord taut each time the window treatment assembly is adjusted or operated. The pull-keeper of the present invention generally comprises a wall-mountable housing, a cord collecting assembly adapted for collecting a length of a flexible cord, and biased by spring means located within the housing, that has an opening for permitting the flexible cord to pass therethrough into the cord collecting assembly.
The window treatment assembly typically includes window covering material or blind slats extending between a head rail and bottom rail, and two or more lift cords connected to the bottom rail. Within the head rail, there is a cord locking device located therein. Typically, two or more lift cords are connected at one end of the bottom rail, and extend up through the window covering material or blind slats into the head rail. The lift cords then pass through a cord locking device and out of the head rail in a manner where the opposite end of the lift cords, or pull-cord, is accessible to a user. The window shades or blinds are typically raised by the user pulling on the accessible portion of the lift cords, or pull-cord, and are lowered by releasing the pull-cord. In this manner, the pull-cord can extend downward from the head rail to within a few feet from floor level.
The window treatment assembly pull-cord keeper of the present invention is adapted to be mounted in a manner for keeping the pull-cord out of reach of infants and small children who are typically attracted to the pull-cord, and who are most susceptible to becoming dangerously entangled in the pull-cord. The pull-cord keeper of the present invention operates by collecting the freely suspended length of the pull-cord of the window treatment assembly, and keeping the ends of the pull-cord away from persons of relatively shorter stature, particularly infants and young children. More specifically, the housing of the pull-cord keeper is adapted for secure mounting on the surface of the wall or window casing near the head rail, and the cord collecting assembly located in the housing, draws or releases the pull-cord through the housing opening according to the degree of slackness in the pull-cord. The cord collecting assembly is conveniently driven by spring means in a constant spring loaded state. The user can raise or lower the bottom rail as desired while the pull-cord keeper simultaneously draws or releases, respectively, a length of the pull-cord while keeping the pull-cord taut and away from the lower end of the window treatment assembly in a safe, efficient and effective manner. When the user is satisfied with the level of the bottom rail (e.g. of a Venetian blind), the cord locking device in the head rail is engaged as usual, and the pull-cord keeper automatically maintains the taut condition in the pull-cord. No separate action on the part of the user is required for operation.
In particular, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a pull-cord keeper for a window treatment assembly, which comprises:
a wall-mountable housing;
a cord collecting assembly located within the housing and adapted for collecting a loose length of a flexible cord;
a spring adapted for rotating the cord collecting assembly to collect the loose length of the flexible cord; and
an opening for permitting the flexible cord to pass therethrough into the housing to the cord collecting assembly.
In another aspect of the present invention, the pull-cord keeper comprises:
a housing configured for secure mounting attachment on a wall near an upper portion of the window treatment assembly, said housing further defining a cavity therein;
an opening in communication with said cavity;
a spool adapted for rotational movement within said cavity to reel and collect through said opening a length of a slender flexible material; and
spring bias for biasing the spool in a rotational direction for reeling in any loose length of the slender flexible material during a constant spring loaded state.